Strasburg takes another beating from D-backs in 18-7 rout

PHOENIX - Stephen Strasburg took the mound tonight at Chase Field looking to continue perhaps the best sustained stretch of his career. The right-hander had won seven consecutive starts and just completed a perfect a 5-0 July in which he drove in more runs (six) than he surrendered (four).

And then the Diamondbacks dug in to face Strasburg and did what nobody else has done to him. Well, nobody else but themselves.

Over the course of 4 2/3 harrowing innings in the desert, Arizona's lineup bashed Strasburg to the tune of nine runs and coasted their way to an 18-7 trouncing of the Nationals that ended with Gerardo Parra and Brian Dozier giving up seven combined runs in the bottom of the eighth.

It was an unexpected result in what on paper looked like a nice pitchers' duel. And yet, maybe this wasn't so unexpected after all. Though this represented the first time one of the Nats' top four starters (Strasburg, Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin, Aníbal Sánchez) was charged with a loss since June 15, the guy who was charged with the loss that afternoon was none other than Strasburg. And the opponent was none other than the Diamondbacks.

Sometimes a particular matchup just doesn't favor a pitcher. Suffice it to say, this matchup has become Strasburg's worst nightmare.

In two starts against Arizona this season, Strasburg is 0-2 with a 13.97 ERA and seven homers surrendered in 9 2/3 innings. In 21 starts against everybody else, he's 14-3 with a 2.99 ERA and nine homers surrendered in 135 2/3 innings.

"It's funny how this game is: There's some teams that pitchers own, and some teams that come and own the pitcher," manager Davey Martinez said. "But with that being said, you've got right now our No. 1 guy out there, who's pitched really well. And they just hit the ball today."

What gives, though? Have the D-backs figured out something the rest of baseball hasn't?

"They were able to lay off some quality pitches," Strasburg said. "I don't know what they were seeing ... well, actually I do know what they're seeing, so it's a positive. I think games like this when you get knocked around, you always try and look at the positives and ways to improve. And I think I've figured that one out. From an execution standpoint, I felt like I was pretty locked in. They just hit it."

Read between the lines there, and Strasburg appears to be suggesting Arizona's hitters knew what was coming. Either because he was tipping his pitches or because his pitch sequences were entirely predictable.

"Obviously, they've tattooed me twice this year, so that seems to be obvious," he said. "Again, it's my job to mix up pitches, execute pitches. And it's their job to put the barrel on the ball. And they did that tonight. I can't really be too frustrated by it, but I do know I have to go out there and be better next time. The little things sometimes can become big things if you don't manage them well."

Here's what can be said as fact: Strasburg tonight gave up nine runs, and that matched the worst outing of his career: On Aug. 17, 2016, the Rockies blitzed the righty for nine runs in only 1 2/3 innings at Coors Field. He wound land on the injured list a few days later with a sore elbow and would return to make only one more start that season, missing the playoffs.

There were no outward signs of any physical issues tonight. Strasburg's fastball averaged 93.7 mph, down just a bit from his season average of 94.2 mph.

"No, he was good," Martinez said when asked if anything was physically wrong with his starter. "We watched him, and his location was not sharp."

Assuming no ailments, Strasburg simply was beaten badly by the Diamondbacks for the second time in six weeks. And much of the damage came via the longball.

Arizona clubbed three homers tonight off Strasburg, getting a two-run blast from Eduardo Escobar in the first, a solo shot from Nick Ahmed in the second and a two-run rocket from Jake Lamb in the fifth.

Strasburg also surrendered an RBI double to David Peralta in the third and a leadoff triple to Ketel Marte in the fifth. Even when he thought he had completed the fifth, getting Ahmed to strike out, he still couldn't catch a break. The ball squirted away from catcher Kurt Suzuki, and Ahmed reached via the wild pitch.

Martinez strolled to the mound and took the ball from his starter. He hoped his bullpen would be able to supply the remaining 3 1/3 innings, but Matt Grace, Tanner Rainey and Daniel Hudson only combined for 2 1/3 innings.

Which meant that when the bottom of the eighth arrived, the man on the mound was Parra. The former Gold Glove outfielder flashed a 92 mph fastball and an 81 mph slider, impressive stuff. But he could not find the strike zone. He issued four walks and gave up a single, failing to record an out.

"I tried. I tried," he said. "I'm happy I got back to the mound. It didn't go like I wanted, but I'm still happy. First time in the big leagues. So this is big for me."

Martinez, though, had to walk back to the mound and ask the rest of his infielders if anybody wanted to pitch. Dozier volunteered, and so it was that the veteran started heaving 69 mph floaters toward the plate while Parra and Anthony Rendon swapped positions between second and third bases, based on which side of the plate the batter hit from.

Dozier would somehow record three outs, but only after surrendering a two-run double and a three-run homer to his former Twins teammate and close friend Eduardo Escobar. It made for a few laughs, but it also made for the most lopsided loss of the season.

"Freaking Escobar," Dozier lamented. "If I had to give up one, it would be to Esky. Esky's like my brother. The funny part is, I'm going to his house right now. He's cooking me dinner. I'm sure he's not going to let it down."